By Alexey Sukachev

Russia - After her duties during Sergey Kovalev’s homecoming presser were finally over, BoxingScene.com caught up with the CEO of the Main Events, Kathy Duva, to discuss  Sergey Kovalev’s next fight and some fighters with her promotional company.

BoxingScene: Will you partner with any Russian party to stage Sergey Kovalev’s fight on November 28 in Moscow?

Duva: We have negotiations with a couple of different ones and also some negotiations with financial groups on that but nothing is set at the moment. We shall wait and see what the best options are.

BoxingScene: What is the road map for IBF #1 / TBRB #7 heavyweight Vyacheslav Glazkov (20-0-1, 12 KOs) after his tune-up fight against Kertson Manswell? Will you press K2 Promotions to honor their obligations if Wladimir Klitschko wins against Tyson Fury this fall?

Duva: You know it takes for unified champions a bit longer to defend against every mandatory challenger by each sanctioning body, so everyone has to wait for their turn. As soon as IBF decides on the fight, defines its date and enforces it, then they will inform us and team Klitschko and our side will start negotiations. In the meantime we shall stay busy fighting warm-up fights and preparing for a world title shot.

BoxingScene: If you get presented with a step-aside offer by the IBF, will you choose to accept it or to go right at Wladimir?

Duva: IBF doesn’t do step-asides so that is not even a question. We shall not accept a side-pay for Slava. But never say never. Glazkov will stay busy shaping up for the fight against Klitschko or even Tyson Fury – who knows. And we shall weigh all the options.

BoxingScene: Glazkov had at least three close, if not questionable fights, in his recent run – against Derrick Rossy, Steve Cunningham and Malik Scott. Is he really ready for the best heavyweight in the division or does he need more time for preparations?

Duva: Those fights, close fights which he won, are invaluable experience. That’s how you are getting educated – in the fights. Watching Deontay Wilder blowing out all those mismatched opponents, I cannot understand what he is learning. I know for sure that Slava has learned a lot because every time he fights he faces adversity and he learns how to overcome it, to find a way to win.

He is a winner. Being pressed to the wall, he knows how to fight out. That combined makes him much more ready than those men, who have never proven themselves in the ring against credible opponents, like Deontay Wilder. I also think his style will be a problem for (Wladimir) Klitschko. He is one of the best purest defensive fighters I have ever seen. He does it so subtly, he defects punches so well.

In Malik Scott fight I sat right against the camera. The judge in from of me had it for Slava as he was slipping all of Malik’s punches. Indeed, his offensive work wasn’t perfect in that fight and he needed to be better offensively. But his defense was A-mark against Scott. If Klitschko cannot land on him, how can he hurt him. And if not hurt, Slava can go twelve rounds and simply outbox his opponent.

BoxingScene: What is your plan for Dmitry Mikhaylenko, who has just stopped a very good opponent in former champion Johan Perez?

Duva: I partner with German Titov and his son Alexey on Dmitry Mikhaylenko. As far as I know, the Titovs have booked him a fight somewhere in Russia this October. I don’t know the details yet. But what I know is that the welterweight division is so talented it’s about to explode, and Dmitry will be ready. He will be in top-ten very-very soon and ready for a shot at a title.

BoxingScene: What is next for Vasily Lepikhin, who had a bitter loss to Isaac Chilemba in winter?

Duva: We had been planning to place him on Sergey Kovalev’s card on July 26 but Vasily suffered an injury. Now we are waiting him to heal his injuries. As soon as he is ready, we shall put him on the card, and quite possibly it’ll be a part of Sergey’s next fight here in Moscow.

BoxingScene: Is Steve Cunningham still with your promotion?

Duva: No, he is not. We did not have an opportunity for him that I was trying to get. We wanted Wladimir to fight him. He was in their camp, sparred with Klitschko numerous times but they don’t want to fight him. We had several months left on contract and I just decided to let him go. He is getting older, not so many opportunities left for him, so I let him go where he would have more money to earn. He deserves it.

BoxingScene: What is about Curtis Stevens?

Duva: We have re-signed him. He has fought on the BKB and they treated him really well. He will fight this fall, maybe again on BKB. He is now working with Shane Mosley. He has been working with his uncle his whole career since he was literally five year old. So a decision was made to try something new for him, and he went to Shane Mosley. So the BKB is probably next for him under Mosley’s tutelage, and if it’s not BKB then we can try to go the HBO way for Curtis.

BoxingScene: Any new rising stars or names to look after?

Duva: Arif Magomedov is the man. Arif is simply tremendous. He is so talented, so gifted. I don’t want to rush him but he is moving so quickly, so I think he will break in conventional top-ten very soon. He is already rated in top-ten by sanctioning bodies, and we plan to have him on Sergey’s undercard as well.